Kentucky Ag News
Vol. 10 No. 1 • January 6, 2017
KDA approves 2017 hemp acres
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture (KDA) has approved 209 applications from growers who have been approved to cultivate up to 12,800 acres of industrial hemp for research purposes in 2017.
KDA program protects the environment
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture operates the Rinse and Return Program, a voluntary, cooperative program that provides Kentucky farmers a safe, proper way to dispose of empty agricultural chemical containers at no cost.
State vet explains new VFD rule
Kentucky state veterinarian Robert Stout talks about the new “veterinary feed directive,” which requires veterinary oversight of any antibiotics used in animal feeds. (audio)
Read the KFB "Candid Conversation" with Dr. Stout
Local food sales rake in $65 million
In 2015, 3,227 Kentucky farms reported direct farm sales of food, including value-added products, bringing in a combined $65,430,475.
Winter cold stressful for farm animals
University of Kentucky agricultural meteorologist Matt Dixon explained that the combination of cold air and winds create dangerous and emergency-category periods of livestock cold stress.

Retail food prices decrease in fourth quarter
Fourth quarter results of the latest Kentucky Farm Bureau Marketbasket Survey indicated a slight decrease in surveyed food prices and marked declines in three of the four quarters of 2016.

Coming up
- KCARD grant workshops
- Kentucky Commodity Conference
- Kentucky Cattlemen's Association convention
- Kentucky Nursery & Landscape Association Spring Training & Showcase
- Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group annual conference
- Poultry Litter Lessons from the Delmarva and the Ohio Valley
- UK Equine Showcase and Kentucky Breeders' Short Course
- National Farm Machinery Show
- Small Ruminant Grazing Conference
- Kentucky Alfalfa and Stored Forage Conference
- Kentucky Farm Bureau Beef Expo
- Organic Association of Kentucky Conference
- UK Tall Fescue Renovation Workshop
- KSU Mobile Poultry Processing Unit training